“All right, Uncle, let’s get you warm.” Eira made quick work of the knots that bound him.
“You seem skilled at undoing a captive person’s bindings,” he observed thoughtfully, but his tone was ambiguous as to whether he thought it a good or bad trait.
“I’ve had a few months to get familiar with various knots.” Eira left it at that. She stood and held out a hand, helping him to his feet.
As the crew dispersed, her friends remained, and approached.
“Thank you,” Fritz said over her shoulder, directed at Cullen.
“Of course, Minister.” Cullen bowed his head. “I wasn’t going to let them drown you when you were putting up such a fight.”
“It really is you.” Alyss stepped forward and didn’t even hesitate to wrap Fritz into a brief but tight embrace. The gesture surprised Eira a bit—while Alyss was a longtime friend, she’d never been so warm with Eira’s uncles. Though what she said next gave Eira some clarity. “It’s good to see a friendly face. I thought there would be no one left following the coliseum.”
“I’d like to hear how you survived,” Olivin added with a skeptical tone.
Eira noted that Yonlin was nowhere around, and hoped his wounds were truly mended. But there was only time for one thing at a time.
“Let’s discuss this in my cabin.” The crew was already obviously displeased with this turn of events; Eira didn’t want to put it in their faces. Plus, she had the benefit of privacy in a cabin now, so she might as well use it.
“Your…cabin,” Fritz repeated softly as she led them over.
“Olivin, can you find something warm, whatever they have simmering in the galley? Cullen, can you find dry clothes?” Eira directed and the two men headed belowdecks. “In here.” She ushered her uncle into the narrow cabin, Alyss still following.
“This is yours?” He still spoke slowly, words laden with disbelief, as if he thought everything before him was some strange fever dream.
“Only as of recently.”
“And you’re…friends with Adela?” Fritz looked her way.
“It’s complicated,” Eira was unsure of how to phrase things. Friends didn’t feel quite right—her relationship with Adela was more than that, yet also not nearly as warm as “friends” implied. A knock on the door saved her.
Cullen was the first back. “I guessed on the sizes.”
“We’ll step outside and let you change.” Eira took full advantage of an excuse to escape, practically throwing the clothes at her uncle and pulling Alyss out to snap the door shut behind them.
Hands on her hips, she crossed the deck and stared up at the silvery moon above. The rain had stopped and the remaining clouds were a thin lattice, nearly transparent. Eira cursed under her breath.
“What’s wrong?” Alyss asked, catching up with her and no doubt hearing the language. “Aren’t you happy to see him?”
“Of course I am,” Eira said hastily, the question making her aware of just how her actions could be read, not just by Alyss and Cullen, but her uncle. She needed to be more mindful. “But I have no idea how I’ll explain all this.” Eira gestured around her.
“Well, you would’ve eventually, right?”
Eira made a noncommittal noise. “If I could’ve glossed over the finer points, I would’ve.”
“Forever?” Alyss blinked.
“Ideally.”
Alyss laughed and it had the echoes of their time in the Tower—it was the same tone as all the other times she’d gently and lovingly told Eira she was being ridiculous. “It’s better to get it out.”
“Easy to say when you’re not the one ‘getting it out,’” Eira muttered.
“You don’t think I hadn’t already thought about what I’d tell my parents, did you?”
“I’d assumed we’d all keep this one massive secret. No one needs to know from our past lives.” It sounded utterly unreasonable now that she said it aloud.
“Eira…” Alyss’s fingertips landed lightly on her elbow, drawing Eira’s attention to her. Somehow, she seemed to glow in the moonlight. As if everything that was ever andwouldever begood was encapsulated within her. “How you handle your past and its meeting of your present is up to you. None of us will judge you for it.”
